What's on this weekend in Melbourne

Discover things to do in Melbourne this weekend, from free events to exhibitions, attractions and places to visit.

The NGV and Arts Centre lit up on a winter night.

This weekend

An interactive shadow-play and creative session at ArtPlay with a child and an adult participating.
Until

Inside Out

Families with young children are invited to play together in a world of colour.

Balls of coloured yarn in a knitted soft basket.
Until

Knitting: Beginner 101

Learn to knit in a supportive and nurturing environment.

A pair of bare feet with pointed red toenails positioned on a solid green background, an ID tag hanging from the big toe, directly above a messy cluster of keychains, a plush toy, and an orange tag attached to a ring.
Until

Dead Stock

A heretical solo performance confronting the troubling practices of the fashion industry.

Rooftop garden at Fed Square with people under market umbrellas.
Until

RESET: A Festival for Grounding and Growing

Slow down, find joy in the hands-on and discover creative ways to live more sustainably this spring.

An outdoor event space at Harbour Esplanade Docklands, featuring a large screen broadcasting a sports match to an audience seated in colourful bean bags.
Until

The Street Social: September of Sport

The Street Social is a free, family-friendly weekend by the water.

49ers cheerleader with brief top holding red streamers in front of large crowd in an arena.

The Melbourne Cheer Challenge

Be part of the world’s biggest cheer event, led by the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush Cheerleaders.

A cabaret singer on stage with dancers with fans, wearing a glittering gown with arm outstretched.

Neon Nights

Modern cabaret with showgirls, live vocals and aerials.

A Carlton AFLW player takes off with the football, ponytail flying out the back.

AFLW Round 4: Carlton v Collingwood

Watch Carlton go head-to-head with Collingwood following the Richmond v Fremantle game.

Black and white photograph of a young couple at an open air market, small marquees in the background.

The Lygon Street Market

A monthly open-air market held on the first Sunday of each month.

Regular weekend events

Two people seated below a neon sign.
Until

The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
Until

Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A dark interior space, with smoky purple rounds of light, silhouettes of people's arms pushing into these open spaces.
Until

Imaginator

An immersive experience that celebrates imagination, technology and play.

A plate of fluffy pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate over the top.
Until

Chocolate Family Adventure Day

Enjoy an all-inclusive, stress-free family outing filled with fun, creativity, and delicious treats.

Man holding an old-fashioned lantern outside illuminated Flinders St Station at night, wearing a suit and cap.
Until

Hidden Melbourne: Ghosts, Murder and Mystery

Take a spine-chilling journey back in time to explore the rich paranormal realm of Old Melbourne.

Black and white photograph from the 1960s of model, Twiggy, wearing a mini-dress at the Melbourne Cup.
Until

Swinging 60s

This exhibition looks at what it was like to live in Victoria during the 1960s.

A group of people on a guided walk of the Royal Botanic Gardens, with trees in the background.
Until

Free Guided Walk

A free guided walk is the perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Two First Nations individuals sitting back to back on the ground outdoors, engaged in a traditional weaving activity near a body of water.
Until

FUTURE COUNTRY: Country Road + NGV First Nations Commissions

The second iteration of the Country Road and NGV First Nations Commission initiative.

An ancient Roman marble bust with its nose chipped off, displayed on a small square plinth.
Until

Rome: Empire, Power, People

This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Ancient Rome.

Three people on a walking tour with a Fit City tour guide, two carrying a takeaway coffee.
Until

Laneways and Lattes Walking Tour

Explore Melbourne’s hidden laneways with coffee, street art, history and culture.

The lobby of a comedy venue, with a blue velvet couch and red curtains.
Until

Sunday Night Stand Up Comedy Show

See some of Melbourne's best stand-up comedy, every Sunday night.

A person in a gallery setting looking at a sculpture of an oversize wooden pipe with a sculpture of a giant peeled mandarin balanced on the pipe.
Until

Poetry Goes No Further Than Language

Explore a moment in mid-1980s China when a group of artists began to question values about art.

Two people on a stage giving each other a high five, one also holding a microphone.
Until

Comedy at the Coopers Inn

A comedy club featuring the best local, interstate and international stand-up comedians.

Workshop class participants smiling in a studio setting, holding up mosaic pots and coasters they have made.
Until

Mosaic Making Workshop for Beginners

Learn the art of creating beautiful mosaics from start to finish.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.
Until

Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

Workshop participants smiling and holding multicoloured mosaic tiled coasters.
Until

Colourful Mosaic Coaster Workshop

Come and make mosaic coasters and step into the world of colours.

A close up of flower made from enamel craft
Until

Cloisonne Enamel Painting Workshop for Beginners

Create a unique drink coaster using the ancient cloisonné art.

Three smiling workshop participants in a studio space, holding up jewellery they have made.
Until

Polymer Clay Earring Workshop

Create beautiful jewellery in this fun workshop.

People looking up at the trees on a guided walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Until

Aboriginal Heritage Walk

Wominjeka: journey into Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide.

Two people standing in front of a large pink spiky wall of speakers in an exhibition space.
Until

Reverb: A Journey into Sound

ACMI and RISING present Reverb: A Journey Into Sound, a major exhibition of vinyl culture and music.

Cheese and wine display on a table near a window.
Until

High Cheese

A bold, new three-tiered journey inspired by fire and water.

Table set with food and drinks next to potted palms.
Until

Fern’s Hidden Winter Garden

Melbourne's most-booked winter escape blooms into spring.

Installation view of the Spartans & Anzacs exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance, with people walking around the space, reading panels and looking at displays.
Until

Spartans & Anzacs

This exhibition invites reflection on the enduring values forged in conflict.

Two young adults observing a sculpture in a gallery space with digital and scupltural displays.
Until

EMERGENCE[Y]

An exhibition exploring how adaptation in a world of flux unfolds in every layer of life.

Visitors enjoying an evening event at the National Gallery of Victoria, seated on stools under shadowy lighting.
Until

NGV Friday Nights: Cartier

NGV Friday Nights shine with Cartier, featuring live music, flims, food and drinks.

An exquisite Cartier diamond tiara, suspended against a black background.
Until

Melbourne Winter Masterpieces: CARTIER

Featuring nearly 400 extraordinary jewellery objects, alongside rare archival materials.

Visitors walking through a 3D simulation of the cosmos using wireless VR headsets.
Until

Starstruck

Smithsonian Starstruck is an immersive 3D journey to the cosmos.

A large group of people in active wear all running on a path in park.
Until

Run the Tan: Run Club

Start the weekend off on the right foot with a run around the Tan.

A gallery space with paintings displayed on one white and one yellow wall, plus a series of totems or tree trunks displayed in a white stand in the middle.
Until

Ngarn Wa'ngal: Art of the Gum Tree

Discover how the iconic gum tree has inspired centuries of Australian art and culture.

Two actors wearing formal clothes in a spotlight on a theatre stage during a performance of Pretty Woman: The Musical.
Until

Pretty Woman: The Musical

A dazzling stage adaptation of one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time.

Looking over a blurred shoulder at a table with books displayed.
Until

World of the Book

Experience the rare, the sacred and the iconic in this one-of-a-kind exibition.

A stand-up comedian talking into a microphone they hold in their hand, performing live on stage.
Until

Main Stage: Stand-Up Comedy

Have a laugh with stand-up comedy from Australia's best comedians, plus international drop-ins.

Six female performers on a purple lit stage in costumes and striking poses, all singing into microphones they hold in their hands.
Until

SIX the Musical

SIX the Musical makes its royal stage return to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre.

Three ballerinas on a darkened stage in glowing tutu dresses.
Until

Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show

The classic fairytale is reimagined with glow-in-the-dark costumes and luminous staging.

Egg yolk pouring out of a long sub sandwich with cheese and salad.
Until

Gourmet Sandwich Hunt

Elevate your sandwich style with celebrity chef Darren Purchese.

Singers and dancers on a theatre stage in a scene from A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, with spotlights and stage sets.
Until

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

An inspiring, exhilarating, energetic musical memoir.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
Until

Southbank Makers Market

Explore the Southbank Makers Market every Sunday on the promenade at Southgate.

A solar eclipse, with light emerging around the edges of the blacked-out sun.
–

Solar Tours

Come and experience the wonders of the Sun at the historic Melbourne Observatory.

Grilled cheese toastie on a plate.
Until

Vego Toastie Hunt

Elevate your vego sandwich with celebrity chef Darren Purchese.

Black and white photograph of a busy Melbourne city intersection with trams, cars, people crossing the road, and buildings, dating from around the 1950s or 1960s.
Until

Making Modern Melbourne

This free exhibition examines the tumultuous twentieth century in Melbourne.

Four women standing and holding up small mosaic lamps in front of a circular neon sign.
Until

Mosaic Art Classes Melbourne: Turkish Lamp Workshop

Make beautiful mosaic lamps at this Turkish lamp workshop

A green linocut of a flower and foliage printed on paper and a fabric tote bag.
Until

Tote Bag Block Printing Workshop

Style your bag just the way you like it with block printing in this beginner's workshop.

A little girl looking at a colourful display of cushions in an art gallery.
Until

Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

An Australian landscape watercolour painting by Maxine Wade, of a large gum tree by a body of water, in muted shades of green, blue, tan and cream.
Until

Maxine Wade: Land For Sale

This exhibition features Australian landscapes painted in watercolour.

Woman in blue dress sitting in a garden, with face upturned.
Until

Forest Therapy

Unwind with forest therapy (shinrin-yoku) and immerse your senses in nature.

A group of friends playing the board game dungeons and dragons at Fortress Tavern Melbourne, with a Dungeon Master dressed in a witch's costume leading the game.
Until

Dungeons and Flagons

Forge friendships through adventure at Dungeons and Flagons at Fortress.

A black and white photograph of a family eating a meal at the family dining table circa 1950.
Until

You Have a New Memory

An exhibition that explores how and why we remember, through the lens of the Library's collections.

Floral accessorie made from silk and beads.
Until

French Embroidery Workshop

Learn to craft an anemone brooch, from hand-dyeing silk to beadwork.

A person with long brown hair tied back, wearing a black blazer and sunglasses, leans forward to kiss a person wearing a rubber bald head face mask, in a grey pinstripe suit and sunglasses, set against a solid bright green background.
Until

Cold War 2.0

An experimental punk show from the twilight of a global crisis by Doppelgangster.

A painting of a woman in a pink dress, against a blue background.
Until

Emily Dober: My World

Enjoy the world of artist Emily Dober in The Gallery at City Library.

A comedian on a small stage in front of a blue curtain making a face into a microphone.
Until

Sunday Laughternoons

End your weekend on a high note with a secret lineup of very good comedians.

Kids on the grass outside the Shrine of Memorial, holding kit bags and smiling.
Until

Shrine Kids

Embark on a family adventure with this engaging program designed for discovery at every turn.

See all events on this weekend

More to explore

People milling around Fed Square at sunset.

What's on today

Discover free events, epic festivals and shows on in Melbourne today.

A night tennis match at Rod Laver Arena.

Major events

From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Cup, major events take centre stage throughout the year.

People on deck chairs watching a movie in Fed Square on a large screen.

What's free in Melbourne this month

Everything to see, do and enjoy in Melbourne for free this month.

A chef cooking meat skewers over a flaming grill.
–

What's on in November

Things to do in Melbourne in November, from free events to exhibitions and places to visit.